HIKIND JOINS de BLASIO IN CALLING FOR OUSTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER

HIKIND JOINS de BLASIO IN CALLING FOR OUSTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) will join Public
Advocate Bill de Blasio today in demanding the resignation of NYC Consumer
Affairs Commissioner following DCA Commissioner Jonathan Mintz’s admission yesterday
that inspectors are “flagged” for writing less than a certain number of
tickets.

“Small businesses in our community have been reeling
from petty tickets that are aimed at raising revenue for the city,” said
Hikind. “The DCA should be helping educate businesses on what the laws are and
aren’t—they should be there to support these businesses, which are the
lifeblood of our community. Instead, these businesses are being shaken down.”

The number of tickets given out by Consumer Affairs
has skyrocketed from 10.9 million in 2010 to nearly 24.2 million in 2012.

“We have long suspected a quota system was in place
and now it’s finally clear that this shake down of small businesses is being
mandated from the top,” said Hikind.

A press conference is scheduled today at 12:30 at 1
Centre Street, 15th floor, Manhattan, at the Office of the Public Advocate.